


dancing my way into your heart

by wolfedhale (kyoongs)



Series: impressed upon your soul [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, College AU, Fluff and Humor, M/M, mentioned sebaek, mentioned xiuhan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 12:47:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7439935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyoongs/pseuds/wolfedhale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate AU in which you get an ‘impression’ of your soulmate when you turn 18.</p><p>Joonmyun has had some crazy ideas and theories about his soulmate, yet nothing could prepare him for how perfectly Yixing fitted into his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dancing my way into your heart

The fact that soulmates were indeed an actual thing was quite comforting to Joonmyun. It was solid proof that he would one day meet the one he was destined to spend his life with. As long as people could remember, one would get an ‘impression’ of their soulmate when they reached the age of 18. It could be anything from something weird like a profound repulsion of feet or a strange lust for blue sweets. 

This was the hope Joonmyun clung to whenever loneliness overcame him or when all he wanted was to feel the arms of his soulmate around his body. Whenever he was buried beneath blankets, lamenting over a bad day, or when he had finally perfected something that was troubling him, this was when he deeply wished his soulmate was here to comfort him or share his happiness.

Joonmyun grew up with tales of people finding their soulmates during their high school lives, during university, at family functions, at encounters at shopping malls and even meeting them over the internet. He lived for the ones where the soulmates lived happily ever after; he cringed and sighed at the ones that inevitably didn’t work out.

However, the unfortunate ones didn’t dull his bright hope. Joonmyun was a optimistic person. During his lowest and highest points, when his thoughts turned to his unknown soulmate and the tight feeling in his chest returned, he would chastise himself and remember that his love was out there, also waiting for him.

His mind worked strangely, sometimes. He was one of the smartest students in school, and later, also in university, and so his mind was always abuzz with questions and possibilities. A good theory or tough challenge was ambrosia for his energetic mind. It was due to this when a lightbulb lit up in his mind and he decided to see if he could somehow ‘connect’ to his soulmate.

The first time, he was simply eating lunch whilst watching TV. He had just finished trying a new Kimchi jjigae recipe and was pleasantly surprised at the result. As he ate, he wondered if his soulmate could somehow feel what he was feeling.

So, after casting a look around to make sure none of his family was around, Joonmyun sat straight and took a slow bite of the stew. He chewed deliberately and concentrated extra hard. He fervently conjured up the outline of his soulmate and tried to convey the deliciousness of the stew. He silently spoke to his soulmate, telling him how he made it and vividly described the taste.

After several moments, nothing happened and everything was silent, other than the noise of the television and Joonmyun’s slow breathing.

He sighed heavily and felt a bit silly. Communicating telepathically was impossible. If it were not so, people would find their soulmates much easier. Joonmyun berated himself and ceased attempting to communicate with his soulmate. He was just going to have to be extra patient.

 

Being so involved in his schoolwork, Joonmyun hardly had interest in doing time-consuming activities such as going out with friends and watching mindless television. He was a fast learner and spent his time picking up and perfecting various hobbies. It was during an extra-curricular music class when Jongdae burst into his life and stuck like glue.

Joonmyun saw Jongdae before he heard him, really. The younger caught his attention with his powerful voice. Jongdae was singing a Korean cover of Come As You Are and his vocals were the best that Joonmyun had heard in the class.

Whilst the younger was singing, Joonmyun located the source of the singing and came face-to-face with the curly-haired male. He was surprised that such a commanding voice originated from such a small body. When the curly-haired male finished the song, Joonmyun clapped enthusiastically.

“That was great!” He complimented the other, “You have a great voice.”

“Thanks,” the curly-haired male replied. A light blush graced his face and he smirked slightly. “Your turn.”

“Oh, no thanks,” Joonmyun shook his head. “I’m not that good. I’m mainly here to improve.”

“Isn’t that what this class is for,” the other laughed, “C’mon, I’m sure you’re not that bad.”

“If this class is for improving, then what are you doing here?” Joonmyun retorted.

“I know I’m good,” his curls bounced as he shrugged shamelessly, “But no one said there isn’t always room for improvement.”

Joonmyun silently agreed and inwardly winced when the other spoke again. “So, what are you waiting for? Sing me a song!”

The elder sighed. He figured the other male wouldn’t stop persisting, so he took a deep breath and started to sing of a Blink-182 song. 

At first, he was self-conscious, but he quickly grew comfortable under the curly-haired male’s praising gaze. When he ended the song, he was rewarded with a small round of applause from the other.

“I don’t get why you were so shy,” the other scoffed lightly, “You’re not so bad yourself!”

“Thank you,” Joonmyun bowed his head modestly. 

“I’m Jongdae,” the other said. He was quick to sidle up next to Joonmyun and the other got the impression that he had just gained a friend who wasn’t going to disappear any time in the near future – or at all.

“Joonmyun,” he grinned, “It’s nice to meet you.”

 

Joonmyun woke on his 18th birthday, feeling the same as he did the day before. He went through the motions of his routine thoughtlessly. He was even distant when his parents wished him well for the day. He only properly left his thoughts when his mother quickly jabbed his stomach and thrusted a cupcake in his face. For a small woman, she sure was strong.

All day, he paid extra attention to everything, desperately searching for the impression of his soulmate. He felt no different, however, not even when Jongdae and him visited the local park to try out different activities with the hopes of igniting the impression.

Only when he returned home and started his music practice, did he experience something strange.

He was warming up his voice by practising different pitches and testing his vocal range. As he started to sing a recent pop song, his body started to move unconsciously.

It wasn’t totally unusual for him to dance a bit when singing, yet his body started to attempt moves he hadn’t even seen or did before. This was only brought to his attention when he hit a high note and he suddenly jumped forward. His hip made contact with the edge of his desk and he hissed. His hand flew to his hip, where pain flared at the contact.

Only once he had tended to the newly-formed bruise, did he realise that what he had experienced was his ‘impression’ of his soulmate.

His excitement overshadowed the pain at his side and he quickly returned to singing. This time, though, he paid extra attention to his body movements as he picked up a catchy beat. 

His legs and hands started to jerk of their own accord and he missed a note, effectively losing the beat of the song. Once that had vanished, his body ceased its dancing. 

Joonmyun tested his impression throughout the night. He only stopped when his mother warned him that overusing the impression might dull it. He had never heard of such a thing before but it didn’t deter him from stopping. Who knew what could happen, anyway? Mothers did know everything; maybe his mother really did know what she was talking about.

The next day, he animatedly informed Jongdae of his impression and what transpired after. His best friend spent a good few minutes laughing at his antics but, then again, he was genuinely happy for his friend. It would be a while before the curly-haired male received his impression but he was in no hurry to get it. He was happy to remain unaware for now.

As time went on, Joonmyun’s impression never dampened, despite his mother’s initial caution. He was glad, and he even developed into a decent, if occasionally clumsy, dancer. 

 

The time to pick universities rolled around and Joonmyun was already set on attending the Seoul University of Music and Arts. His parents were fully supportive of his decision, despite being sad to see him leave their nest. 

The only damper to his excitement over university was that Jongdae was going to attend another music university in China, along with his older brother. Joonmyun was devastated to separate from his best friend but was reassured by promises to keep in touch every single day. He was also comforted by Jongdae’s matching gloom at the parting. At least he wasn’t the only one suffering.

And so the elder Kim packed his bags and headed to university, which held far more opportunities and possibilities. Despite the expected trepidation of starting university, Joonmyun was enthusiastic to experience the academic challenges that followed. And the hope of meeting his soulmate was brighter than ever.

On the first day of university, Joonmyun panicked and called Jongdae.

“Dae, I’m scared,” he spoke lowly into the phone as he walked to his first class.

“Me too,” his best friend replied. He, too, was on his way to his first class. He inwardly cursed the older for forcing him to sync their class times. If there was one thing Jongdae hated, it was getting up early for classes. He thought he would be rid of that upon starting university, but that hope was in vain thanks to his school-loving best friend.

“I wish you were here,” Joonmyun admitted. He missed his best friend so much, even though it was just a few days since they last saw each other.

“Me too,” Jongdae repeated. “Classes would be easier. Who else would put up with me?!”

“I’m sure you’ll make friends easily.” One thing Joonmyun always admired about his best friend was his warm and humorous nature that acted as a magnet for people. Joonmyun, on the other hand, was a bit of a wallflower.

“You too, Joon,” Jongdae knew what was on the other’s mind and spoke the words Joonmyun needed to hear. “Okay, gotta go now. Good luck for your classes!”

“You too,” Joonmyun replied and ended the call.

With his best friend’s well wishes, he felt he could face the day ahead. They may be separated by distance but their support towards each other never wavered.

 

University was both everything and nothing Joonmyun had anticipated. It was hard and confusing, for one, but it was also refreshing and electrifying. He quickly established himself as a hardworking student and even became a TA for his Music Theory class. However, he had acquaintances but no proper friends.

He and Jongdae video chatted everday. He was secretly envious that the other had quickly made several friends. Jongdae regaled the elder with hilarious tales of his friends, Lu Han and his soulmate, Minseok, and Yixing. Regardless of his envy, he was delighted for his best friend. He also felt as if Jongdae’s friends were his friends, based on the wildly inappropriate and unusual information that was passed on to him through his best friend.

His social predicament changed when he encountered the small, initially terrifying but later adorable, Kyungsoo.

It was towards the end of the first semester when he was given a small group project to complete. He watched as people quickly paired up with their friends and his heart sank a little when no one approached him. He cast his eyes downwards, figuring he would be able to complete the project alone. Then he jumped when he felt someone place their books next to his and he looked up to see owlish eyes staring at him.

“Hello,” Joonmyun started nervously. He attempted a small smile in the other male’s direction. 

“Kyungsoo,” the raven-haired male nodded towards him. “Wanna pair up?”

Joonmyun glanced around the room, noting people were still trying to find partners. He decided not to look a goft horse in the mouth and agreed, “Sure thing. I’m Joonmyun.”

Kyungsoo’s entire demeanour changed when he gave a soft, heart-shaped smile. And for the first time since starting university, Joonmyun felt that he would truly be okay.

 

Jongdae returned to Seoul for his birthday a few months later. He and Joonmyun spent the day with his family and Joonmyun stayed the night. That morning, the first thing he told the elder was, “I want a puppy.”

Joonmyun’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“Puppies,” Jongdae repeated, “I want one. My soulmate loves dogs, dammit.”

The elder burst out laughing, “Damn, Dae, you’re allergic to dogs! How are you going to manage?!”

“If he loves me, he won’t keep dogs around me,” the curly-haired male sniffed indignantly. 

However, the two best friends knew that Jongdae would probably make an exception for his soulmate. Joonmyun kept quiet, knowing the other would just deny it. That didn’t stop him from laughing about it again, though.

“How are your university friends?” Jongdae asked as they were lying side by side on his bedroom floor.

“They’re pretty great,” Joonmyun replied, “Kyungsoo and Chanyeol are soulmates. They’re quite a pair, too. Kyungsoo looks like he can kill a man with his bare hands but he’s secretly an actual puppy. Chanyeol is the happy virus, the polar opposite of Kyungsoo. But they’re so adorable! And Baekhyun, you need to meet him. The two of you are so alike, it’s kind of scary.”

“But I’m better,” Jongdae cheekily nudged his best friend with his elbow. “Right, right?”

The dark-haired male rolled his eyes, “Yes, you’re better. What about your new friends?”

“Minseok and Lu Han are hilarious,” Jongdae said, “Lu Han’s a hyperactive little nut sometimes but Minseok keeps him in check. Or rather, he joins in to make sure nothing goes wrong! Yixing is probably the nicest person you’ll ever meet and that’s saying something, since I know you! But really, he’s so talented! He can dance, sing AND compose. And he’s so modest!”

Joonmyun smiled fondly as his best friend relayed anecdotes about the past few months. He sighed happily, “I missed you, Jongdae.”

“Me too,” the younger smiled at his friend, “But we’re still best friends! Nothing, not even distance, can change that.”

Joonmyun pulled the younger into a hug and ruffled his hair. Jongdae pulled back and quickly put his hair right, “Okay, enough with the sappiness, Joon. You’re destroying my manliness!”

The elder laughed. It was silent for a while, before that was broken, as it always was, by Jongdae.

“OH, by the way, Yixing is transferring to your university next year!”

“Really?” Joonmyun raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Yeah. So make friends with him because he won’t manage on his own!” 

Joonmyun laughed at his friend’s lack of faith. “Sure thing, Dae. I’ll look after your friend for you.”

As that was settled, the two friends continued talking well into the night. And as they fell asleep, Joonmyun was ever grateful that he had the younger in his life.

 

When his second year of university appeared in the horizon, Joonmyun was quite prepared for the year. He knew what to expect and his loneliness had ended, thanks to Kyungsoo, Chanyeol and Baekhyun. He almost, almost forgot his promise to Jongdae, but many texts and slight threats from the younger had seared the promise into his mind.

Joonmyun didn’t meet Yixing during the first week back, though. He was swept up in the wave of classes, schedules and the general back-to-uni commotions. It was only at Jongdae’s urging did he seek out the Chinese student.

He obtained Yixing’s number through Jongdae and they made plans to meet up on a Friday afternoon, once both their classes had ended. Even though Yixing was a new student at the university, he had amassed quite the reputation due to his triple talents. 

That Friday saw Joonmyun waiting patiently at a table in the corner of the café. It was sparsely populated, due to students opting to stay at home to prepare for a night of partying than sit in the university café. 

Joonmyun was playing with his phone, texting back and forth with Baekhyun, when the bell of the café rang and he looked up. He raised his hand at who he assumed was Yixing, based on the many photos Jongdae had shown him. Noticing his hand, the Chinese man walked towards him. 

When he was just a few steps away, their eyes made contact. It was in that split-second of contact that knocked the breath out of Joonmyun’s lungs. He felt the as if the very earth beneath him was shifting, throwing him off-balance, and then it amended itself. And once it was restored, Joonmyun could acutely determine what had been wrong all along. He never noticed the emptiness before but, now that it was filled, he felt its presence and wondered how he had managed without it.

It was that earth-shattering moment that brought clarity to Joonmyun. As the Chinese man’s eyes widened, Joonmyun knew that he was feeling the exact same thing. Realisation dawned on the younger and his expression changed to one of awe.

Joonmyun stood and immediately closed the gap between him and his soulmate. He all but crashed into Yixing, burying his face in the crook of the younger’s neck. He felt Yixing’s arm automatically come to wrap around him and sighed. He held on tightly, feeling their heartbeats slowly sync and beat as one.

It took several moments before they pulled apart. Joonmyun blushed as he realised the scene they had created and quickly pulled the other back to his table. Yixing seated himself next to Joonmyun and grasped his hand, not wanting to lose the contact they had just discovered.

“Hi,” Joonmyun breathed as he looked at Yixing, at his soulmate. His eye roamed over the latter’s facial features, drinking it in and storing it. His heart jumped when Yixing’s lips quirked upwards and his dimples made an appearance. It was then that Joonmyun decided what his soulmate’s favourite feature was.

“Kim Joonmyun,” Yixing said, and Joonmyun immediately fell in love with the way his name rolled off his soulmate’s tongue. “My soulmate.”

“You felt it too,” The dark-haired male couldn’t stop the wonderment that was laced with his voice. 

Yixing nodded and his fingers tightened around Joonmyun. “Yeah. It was the most beautiful moment of my life.”

Joonmyun couldn’t help but agree. He never noticed what a profound impact the absence of his soulmate had in his life, but now that they had met, it felt as if everything was different and right. 

Yixing was exactly what Joonmyun needed, and more.

 

The two soulmates spent every day of the next few weeks together. It was a bit strange to suddenly see Yixing every chance he got, but Joonmyun loved it. He loved seeing the Chinese student waiting for him to finish his lectures, loved texting him good morning and goodnight, loved discovering that he composed by ear, wasn’t too fond of having his neck touched (but he made an exception for Joonmyun), loved every single thing about Yixing.

Perhaps his most favourite thing, though, was the way their fingers intertwined naturally and the manner in which their eyes gravitated towards each other in a room. Yixing’s very presence brought a sense of comfort and security to the elder’s life.

Jongdae was the first person to find out about the two. Joonmyun texted him a selca and captioned it: _‘Meet my soulmate! Or rather, thanks for meeting him before me!’_

His best friend immediately called him and spent the next few minutes screaming into the phone. Yixing, who was still seated next to him, laughed so hard that tears appeared. He quickly spoke to Jongdae in Mandarin and Joonmyun instantaneously discovered another thing he loved about Yixing.

After several dates and days of getting to know each other, Joonmyun dragged Yixing along to the coffee shop that was frequented by his friends. His three friends’ chatter slowly ceased as he walked towards them, hand in hand with Yixing. 

He gently pushed the younger towards his friends and proudly announced, “Guys, meet Yixing, my soulmate. Xing, these are the three who I occasionally call my friends.”

Baekhyun’s indignant sputter charmed the Chinese student. “Occasionally? _Occasionally?!_ ”

Kyungsoo’s eyes met the brunette’s, and he smiled. “Nice to finally meet you, Yixing. Joonmyun’s been talking non-stop about you.”

He blushed, not denying it. Yixing laughed, finding the reddening of his cheeks to be adorable. “I hope they’re all good things!”

“The way he speaks about you,” Kyungsoo mused, “One would swear you hung the damn sun or something.”

Yixing’s eyes softened at Kyungsoo’s words. He reached over and quickly pecked Joonmyun’s cheek, which caused his blush to deepen. This action was met with loud cheers from his friends. At this rate, Joonmyun swore he would resemble an actual tomato.

Yixing was warmly welcomed and their three promptly changed to four. 

Joonmyun couldn’t help but adore the way Yixing would help his friends in whichever subject he could, the way he and Baekhyun were hell put together, the way he and Chanyeol bonded over guitar sessions. Yixing wasn’t just perfect for Joonmyun; he was perfect for his friends, too.

 

One Saturday night, whilst watching a romcom, Joonmyun revealed what he once thought to Yixing. 

“Wait, so you thought you could communicate telepathically with me?” The Chinese student laughed loudly as Joonmyun explained his theory. 

The elder huffed, “It didn’t seem like a bad idea at the time!”

Yixing chuckled and Joonmyun’s pout deepened. To soothe his soulmate, Yixing pulled him close and dropped a kiss to his forehead. 

“That’s cute.” At the sight of his dimples, Joonmyun’s brief irritation vanished. “I still can’t believe you did that, though!”

Joonmyun groaned and pushed his boyfriend away. He was insufferable.

 

It wasn’t too long before Baekhyun told them about Sehun. He sheepishly told them the story of how they met and he wasn’t even too bothered by how hard Chanyeol and Joonmyun laughed. He was just happy to have finally met his soulmate.

Sehun was the seamless addition of sassiness to their group. He and Chanyeol got on like a house on fire and he was almost as good a dancer as Yixing. The two of them often met up to practise and exchange ideas. 

All things considered, Joonmyun was happy with how his life was taking shape. He voiced his satisfaction during one ordinary night as he snuggled in Yixing’s arms.

“Thank you,” he mumbled sleepily. His soulmate hummed questioningly and he elaborated, “For coming into my life. For being my soulmate.”

He felt Yixing’s happy sigh. “I could say the same to you.”

Yixing squeezed him gently and spoke after a pause, “Jongdae’s returning soon.”

“I can’t wait for him to get here,” Joonmyun chuckled, “He’s going to take all the credit for meeting you and inevitably allowing us to meet.”

“He won’t be wrong,” The younger mused. “But it was ultimately fate that led me to you.”

Joonmyun twisted so he could press his lips to his soulmate. His body relaxed at the contact and he felt Yixing smile into the kiss. He drew back and allowed his eyes to travel around Yixing’s face, pausing at his dimples and stopping when their gazes locked. Every time their eyes met, he fell a little bit more in love.

The brunette settled back into his spot and felt Yixing’s soft breath against his neck. Joonmyun smiled. 

He was right where he belonged.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me [here](http://baekwolves.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. Thanks for reading!


End file.
